Method of shaping rail joint bars



G. LANGFORD METHOD OF SHAPING RAIL JOINT BARS' Dec. 8, 1936.

Filed Dec. 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheetl l Dec. 8, 1936. G. LANGFoRD 2,063,386

METHOD OF SHAPING RAIL JOINT BARS Filed Dec. 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 8, v1936v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention is a method of shaping joint bars used for coupling rails together to form a railway track. More particularly it is a bending operation intended to deflect portions of a bars length. This may be distinguished from crosssectional shaping, in that my method merely deects portions of the bars length without appreciable flow of metal such as would materially alter the cross-section ofthe bar at any point throughout its length. My method reshapes the bars length but is not intended to alter its crosssection, and is particularly directed-to a bar of Vangle type whose bottom member extends more laterally outward than the top member. From the following description, those skilled in the art will understand the method I claim and recognize its advantages.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end view of an angle beam illustrating the ordinary difculty encountered in deflecting a portion of its length;

Fig. 2 is an end View of an angle bar deected in a worn rail joint; j

Fig. 3 is a side view of the rail joint of Fig. 2 with the bolts removed, and the rails made continuous;

Fig. 4 is an end view of a pair of dies used to deflect portions of a bar in accordance with the method of my invention; l

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary plan views of the top portion of the bottom die of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the bottom die, illustrating a variation of the method of my invention; v

Fig. 8 is a side View of a bar die of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is aI plan View of the top surface of `a bar whose intermediate portions are deflected outward and downward. n

Figs. 10 and 11 ae plan views of variousl deflected top surfaces of bars.

In the deflection of an angle form of bar, a certain difficulty is encountered, the result of a `simple mechanical principle.'

Fig. 1 is an end view` of beam l of angle form shown in full lines. This angle form of beam is to be compared with an angle bar in a rail joint under direct load, loaded in the middle and sup-v ported at its ends.

produced in the lIf vertical load VLor VLB, or both, are ap` plied to themiddle ofthe angle beam, it might be thought that this would deflect the middle of the beam vertically downward. But this alone does not happen.` The middle of the bar deflects downwardly and inwardly as per the arrow D.

The same is true under horizontal loads HL orY HL2 or both. The reason for this is that the stiiness of the angle form is least in the direction of the arrow D, and so the angle bar bends in that direction. The middle of the bar instead of deecting horizontally, bends downwardly as it bends inwardly. In both forms of loading, the bar bends diagonally so that its ends are at and thus maintain a central nt, the bar is bent in at center by pressure caused by tightening up the center bolts. This pressure is represented by HL, the equivalent of the horizontal load in Fig. 1. Instead of moving in horizontally at center, the top fishing surface af-b ofthe bar moves inwardly and downwardly to a-b'. The bottom shing surface c-oi does the same thing. It moves in and down to c-d, and because of the pressure on cd at center and the gap between the rail ends at center, the ends of the rails are forced downward resulting in a low joint. This inherent tendency to diagonal deflection is disagreeable but unavoidable. The

angle form can bend in no other way. To properly take up wear, the fishing surfaces a/-b and c-d should move in at least horizontally but not downwardly. The fact is that they should move a little upwardly at center as they are bent in, for the reason that central wear is usually greater at the top than at the bottom, therefore surface a/-b as it is moved inwardly, should shown in Fig. 2.

To properly deflect portions of the length of an angle bar for particular purposes, its above described tendency to diagonal deection must be overcome. The top surface a-b when bent in,

must bend not downwardly, but at least horizontally and preferably upward. I

Fig. 3 is an outside view of the joint of Fig. 2 with the bolts removed. If the gap between the rails were removedand the rails made continuous, the rails would more strongly resist the tendency of the bar when deilected inwardly at center to force them downward. Going further. if the bar were hot and plastic, and the rail employed.

In Fig. d, 3 is an end view of a forming die equivalent to the rail 3 of Fig. 3 made rigid and non-resistant. ll is an end View of an upper die or means for applying deflection pressure. This is broadly equivalent to center bolt tensions l2 in Fig. 3. The bottom 5 of the recess of the bottom die is equivalent to the rail web profile 5 of Fig. 2. The die wall has a recessed surface b-a, equivalent to the worn recess b--b-b'-b of the rail in Fig. 3. By comparing 'this surface b'-a .with that of Fig. 2, it may be seen that it is above or Outside of surface a-b instead of being below or inside as in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 4, surface 5 of die 3 may be straight, not convexed, throughout the die from end to end. In the die is a bar 6 with a portion 1 deflected downwardly. The top die 4 is in its closed position with pressure P on portion l of The reactions R the bar but not on portion 6. of presure P by the top die are carried on the fishing surfaces ozf--b and c-d by the bottom die. With no pressure on portion 6, the bar is held up on the die surfaces a-b and c-d while portion 'l is deflected under pressure P with the resulting positioning of surfaces a-.b and a-b as shown. 'I'his is not a simple bending method, for it does not result in the objectionable diagonal deflection shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Nor is it a reforming operation whereby the bar is shaped to the dies. In its application, it utilizes the principle of load and v'reactions on a beam supported by reactions on each side of the load.

Fig. 5 is a simplified fragmentary head portion of die 3 of Fig. 4 viewed from above. The position of a bar head in the die is indicated by dotted lines. b, equivalent to a-b in Fig. 4, represents the recessed surface of the die -from which the bar is to be deflected to the plane b. The bending pressure is applied at P, none at R where the reactions to pressure P are carried on the two surfaces b and the .two corresponding surfaces in the opposite bottom wall not shown. on two places at P and their reactions carried between them at R., there would be two deflections to b'. The two variations of deflections in Figs. 5 and 6 are then applied to a full length bar in Fig. 7. Here are three applied pressures P; at the center C, and at the two end portions E of the bar. There are two reactions R; one between the central portion and each end portion making undefiected portions I. The resultant bar would be as in Fig. 8 which is an outside view of the bar of Fig. 7. The central portion C and end portion lengths -E are deflected under pressure so as to provide corresponding rail fishing surfaces, and the undefiected lengths I carrying reactions R remain as rail clearances. A top view of the top'surface of another form of bar is shown in Fig. 9. The fishing surfaces are deflected in to the rail at C and E, and the surfaces of I are left remaining laterally outward, clear of the rail. In this case, portions I are left deflected outwardly and also downwardly so that there may be no intermediate rail clearance at the bottom. The parts I may be placed closer .to the rail head by applying pressures instead of reactions` at I. 'I'he inner under surface of the bar head having no die wall contact would then be in If as in Fig. 6, pressure were applied.

part depressed and there would be little or no projection of the bar laterally and beyond the side of the rail head. In such a case, the reactions to pressure would be carried on the'die surfaces corresponding to the bars clearance surfaces at I.

Fig. 10 is the top fishing surface of a bar viewed from above. This is an incurved form produced as in Fig. 5. Fig. ll is a similar View with rail clearance at I, made as previously described. These and other forms of bars resulting from variations of deflection may be made by my method of combining deflection under pressure with lack of deflection under the reactions to said pressure.

Obviously there may be advantage in heating only the portion of the bar which is to Vbe deflected, for then the portions on each side of the deflected portion would better resist any tendency of the pressure at the deflected portion to extend to the portionswhere deflection is not desired and deflect them also. Bars so heated when quenched in oil would be harder at the deflected portion, an'd softer at the undefiected portions, which in some cases would be a desirable result to attain, a particular instance being a bar deflected inwardly at its central portion.

What I claim is:--

l. The method of deflecting inwardly the center portion of an angle form of rail joint bar so as to provide top and bottom shing contact with worn rails at the center portion andl end portions of the bar, consisting in heating said center portion and subjecting said center portion only to bending pressure so as to force it inwardly to the planes of top and bottom rail fishing contact, said center portion being restrained from downward deflection, and said end portions being restrained from inward deflection -beyond the planes of top and bottom rail vfishing contact.

2. The method of deflecting inwardly the center portion and end portions of an angle form of rail joint bar so as to provide for top and bottom rail contacts at said center portion and end portions, and intermediate rail clearances between said center portion and end portions, consisting in heating the bar and subjecting said center portion and end portions to pressure so as to force them inwardly to the planes of top and bottom rail contact, said center portion being restrained from downward deflection, and said intermediate portions being restrained from inward deflection at the top at least so as tov provide top intermediate rail clearances.

3. The method of deflecting inwardly longitudinal'portions of an angle form of rail joint bar so as to provide top and bottom rail contact at said inwardly deflected portions and less effective fishing height of the bar at adjacent portions, consisting in heating said portions and subjecting said portions only to pressures so as to force them inwardly to the planes of top and bottom rail contact, said inwardly deflected portions being restrained from downward deflection, and said adjacent portions being restrained from inward deflection beyond planes of lesser effective fishing height than at said inwardly deflected portions.

GEORGE LANGFORD. 

